


Vows

by xensilverquill



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, For God's sake just them be happy, Headcanon: Primal Vernacular is equivalent to Latin, Lessons in Primal Vernacular, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 05:17:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11396103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xensilverquill/pseuds/xensilverquill
Summary: "There is one such passage of that sort. An ancient scripture: vows to be exchanged between a mech and the one he chooses to be his conjunx endura.”“Do you think…“Do you think could recite it to me?”"If you wish."A quiet evening lesson in the Primal Vernacular.





	Vows

“ _Sub… Sub solis geminae…_  ‘Beneath the twin suns’…“ Tilting his head to one side, the minibot glanced up at his companion as they both sat on the berth. "Is that right?”

“No, look at that first glyph again,” Cyclonus rumbled, tapping the line on the datapad with a claw. “Not 'sun,’ but 'moon.’ They might appear the same, but do you see the line across the bottom? There marks the difference.” Splaying his servo over the smaller mech’s abdomen, he pulled him further into his lap.

“Again,” he said, tucking Tailgate’s helm beneath his chin, “from the beginning. Strong and clear…”

“All right, all right.” The minibot heaved a put-upon sigh as his optics scanned the top of the passage.

When he had taken his roommate up on the offer to learn a bit of Primal Vernacular, he had not expected they would be reading old scriptures all evening long. His tired processor was making the glyphs run together, and Cyclonus was nothing if not a hard taskmaker when it came to the old tongue. All the same he brought one servo up to caress the other’s strong jaw as he recited the passage.

“ _Luna sub geminae… De diis vita et morte… Pugnarant fratres invicem…_ 'Beneath the twin moons – the gods of life and death – the brothers – fought one another.’” A yawn escaped him on an ex-vent. “Is that all there is in these?”

“Hm?”

“I just mean…” He gestured vaguely in the air with his free servo. “The whole 'battle, death, plague’ thing. Battle, death, plague, battle, rust, death, plague,  _repeat_. These scriptures, they just…” The minibot trailed off, glancing down and to the side.

Silence spread between them for a few moments. Cyclonus took the datapad from the other’s digits, laying it on the nightstand beside the berth.Then he gently took the mech’s slim hips between his servos and turned him around until they were facing one another. A claw tipped Tailgate’s helm up until their optics met.

“They just what, _cor meum_?” the warrior rumbled, neither anger nor reproach coloring his tone.

“Well…” The blue light of his visor shrank to narrow band as he brought Cyclonus’ servo up against his cheek. He nuzzled against the scarred palm, huffing a little. “Seems like everything we’ve read today is just doom and gloom, you know. What about things like happiness? Laughter? Friendship? Things that make you smile and hope. Things –  _people_  – that you love.” He glanced up once more at the other. “Isn’t there anything like that?”

Another long moment of quiet.

“… Now that you mention it,” Cyclonus replied quietly, his faceplates darkening a bit with a rush of energon, “there is one such passage of that sort. An ancient scripture: vows to be exchanged between a mech and the one he chooses to be his conjunx endura.”

The minibot’s expression mirrored the other’s as he leaned forward and laid his head against the purple mech’s chest. He shyly nuzzled the same spot and rubbed a servo up and down his companion’s arm.

“Do you think…” His voice module clicked as he reset it. “Do you think could recite it to me?”

“If you wish.” Cyclonus’ voice fairly rumbled through him on a purr, the other’s arms settling loosely around him. He waited until Tailgate was comfortably settled and nestled against him before he began.

“ _Carissimi_ ,” he breathed. “ _Dulce meum._ ” Still holding the minibot, he leaned back until they flat on the berth. He traced glyphs on the Tailgate’s back, glyphs of devotion and affection that left the sleepy mech blushing and breathless.

“ _Cor meum es. Spiritus meus es tu._ ” Slowly he turned them on their sides. Tailgate stretched to meet the warrior as he pressed their helms together. “ _Vos autem non timere. Numquam erit solus eris. Ego enim dabo vobis omnia.  Et dabo tibi animam meam._

” _Pertinent es ad me, et ego ad te pertinent._ “ Cyclonus ex-vented slowly. ” _Te a_ –“ A light snore from a little engine interrupted him. The warrior opened his optics to see that Tailgate’s optics had darkened completely. A smile quirked at one corner of his lips, breaking his solemn expression. He pressed a kiss just above the minibot’s visor.

” _Te amo_ , Tailgate.“

* * *

_“Carissimi. Dulce meum. Cor meum es.  Spiritus meus es tu. Vos autem non timere. Numquam erit solus eris. Ego enim dabo vobis omnia.  Et dabo tibi animam meam. Pertinent es ad me, et ego ad te pertinent.”_

“Beloved. My sweet one. You are my heart. You are my breath. You will never be afraid. You will never alone. For I will give you all that is mine, all that I am. I give you my life. You belong to me, and I belong to you.”


End file.
